Will's Story
by Ranger Charlie
Summary: Will returns to Araluan after his time in Skandia. He wants to rest and recuperate but life does not allow for that. A problem from his past arises and comes back to haunt him. Will he uncover the mystery or will he fail this time?
1. Chap1 Home Again

**This story starts when Will gets home from Araluen Castle after the events of 'The Oakleaf Bearers'. I do not own anything.**

It was two days after Will, Halt, Baron Arald and Sir Rodney had left Araluen. They crested the hill and paused, looking out over the scene below. Castle Redmont glowed in the early afternoon sun.

Will sighed, "I never thought I would ever see this sight again. It is the best feeling in the world to be back home again."

"I'm glad to be home too," agreed Halt. "What are we waiting for then? Let's go!"

The all rode down the hill at a gallop. As they rode up to the castle, they saw the crowds of people waiting to greet them. As they got closer, the people started cheering. Halt and Will were a little shocked at the huge reception. Baron Arald saw their reaction and grinned.

"I knew you wouldn't like a huge reception but I did it anyway."

Halt and Will did not respond. Halt only looked at Baron Arald with a defeated look.

They came up to the castle and pulled up their horses. The first people to come out of the crowd were Lady Pauline, Alyss, Master Chubb, Jenny and George. They came forward to greet Halt and Will.

"Thank God you're alright!" exclaimed Lady Pauline.

"We have been so worried all year!" cried Alyss.

"We must have a welcome home feast!" said Master Chubb and Jenny at the same time.

"My heart leaps at the fact that the brightest person I have ever known in the whole of my short, but fruitful, life, is at last returned to us in one piece and totally unscathed!" said George. At this lengthy and descriptive welcome, everyone laughed.

"You at least haven't changed, George!" laughed Will.

Suddenly, the whole group came forward as one and enveloped Will and Halt in a big group hug.

"I missed you so much, Will," whispered Alyss in his ear. Little did she know that her mentor, Lady Pauline, was whispering much the same to Halt.

They all broke apart as Baron Arald came forward.

"I liked what Master Chubb and Jenny said. Tonight there will be a feast unlike anything you have ever seen before. Everyone is invited!"

The crowd cheered. Everyone loves a feast.

"Go home and make yourselves ready," cried Arald. The crowd obliged.


	2. Chap2 At the Cabin

Chapter Two

 **This chapter is about when they get back to the cabin. I hope you enjoyed the previous chapter. I do not own anything.**

Will and Halt mounted their horses. As they rode off toward their cabin, Will said, "Halt. Can I ask you a question?"

"You already did," said Halt smiling faintly.

"Oh... Well. Anyway. When we get home...wow... I never thought I would say that again... home, when we get home, before I get ready for the feast, can I please shoot some arrows at the targets. Then I will really feel like I am home. "

"Of course you can, Will," said Halt. "Then you must come in and get cleaned up for the feast."

They arrived back at the cottage. It had been over a year since Will had seen the place. It had been almost as long for Halt.

After they had fed and brushed Tug and Abelard, Will ran out of the stables. As Halt walked out after him, he saw that Will was running around the house.

"What on earth are you doing, Will?" asked Halt.

"Getting a feel for the house again," Will replied.

"OK," said Halt, "Go and shoot those arrows and then come and get cleaned up. We will be leaving in about an hour."

While Will was shooting, he had time to think. He thought about all the things that had happened to him over the past year and a bit. He thought about the bridge, and about the sea trip to Skandia. He smiled as he remembered how scared he and Evanlyn were. " _We thought we were going to die!_ " He thought. He remembered the battle for Skandia, shooting with and commanding his own force of archers. He remembered how brave Evanlyn was. A pang shook him as he thought of that. He missed Evanlyn a lot. He missed her company. For many months, she was his only companion. He regretted hurting her by his decision, but he knew that he had made the right choice. He had to finish his ranger training.

While Will was shooting, Halt was inside. He looked around the cabin and heaved a huge sigh of relief. The past months had been very stressful for him. He was sure he had lots more grey hair than last year. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt truly a rest. He was home. The cabin that he had called home for so many years was exactly the way he had left it. He was home and he was happy. The only time he had felt happier was when he found Will.

Will finished up his shooting and went inside. He went out the back of the cabin to the water barrel. He rinsed his face and hair. Then he went inside and changed his travelling clothes for clean clothes. He combed his hair and then went out to Halt.

"All ready to go, Will?" asked Halt.

"Yep," answered Will.

They walked out of the cabin. "Will we walk?" asked Will.

"Yes," said Halt, "It is not far to the castle."

"I can't wait to see everyone again," said Will excitedly. "I want to talk to everyone. I missed them so much. I want to get completely caught up again on all the Redmont news. So much must have happened while I was away. I want to..." He trailed off as he saw Halt's face. "Sorry, Halt. I was talking too much again, wasn't I?"

"Yes, Will, you were. I was hoping you would have grown out of the talkative phase while you were in Skandia. Obviously you haven't."

"I will try to not talk so much, Halt. But I am just so excited to be home!"

Halt sighed. "I guess I can be nice for one day, seeing as we have only just got home."

Will grinned at Halt. Halt sighed but in his heart he knew he was glad to have his irrepressible apprentice back. Very glad.

 **I hope this chapter fulfilled your expectations. Writing a story is harder than it looks! Please review! Suggestions are welcome.**


	3. Chap3 A Feast and a Surprise

**Next Chapter. Sorry that it was so long in coming. I don't seem to have a good head for inventing stories.  
In this chapter is a reference to Hogarth Fief. This, if you remember, was the fief of Crowley when Halt met him in 'The Hibernian'. It is an actual fief even though it is only referred to once. I didn't want to make one up so I had to research what fiefs were in Araluen. If I ever get any facts wrong, please let me know and I will fix them.  
All rights go to John Flanagan, one of the most awesome writers ever.**

 _Chapter 3:_

Halt and Will arrived at castle Redmont. They walked into the banquet hall and were greeted by Baron Arald and Lady Pauline.

"Come and sit down boys," said Arald. "There is lots to eat. Master Chubb and Jenny have been very busy and made lots of delicious food."

"Good," exclaimed Will, "My stomach could not possibly be emptier!"

Halt raised one eyebrow. "Well then," he said dryly, "We had best get some food before you fade away to a shadow through lack of food."

Will just grinned. They made their way over to a table and sat down. At that table were seated Alyss, George, and Sir Rodney. Lady Pauline and Baron Arald came and sat down also.

"So," said Alyss, "You do know that you will have to give a full account of your adventures while we eat. "

"We know," said Halt. "But Will can do most of the telling, that is, if he can bear to give his attention to anything other than his food."

"I can tell the story," said Will, "But first, someone must get Jenny, if she can be spared. She will want to hear the story too."

Jenny was found and she came and sat down. Will started his story. It took the better part of two hours to tell the full story. As he finished telling it, a speculative silence hung over the table. Finally Arald broke the silence.

"What a story," he said with no lack of amazement. "I feel quite sorry to tell you the important news that I had now."

"What important news, Arald?" asked Halt.

"Oh, it doesn't matter now. It can wait."

"Arald," said Halt slowly and deliberately. "When you start saying things like that, you have to finish them. After our experiences on this adventure we have just had, I am sure we can handle anything."

"OK," sighed Arald, "I still feel guilty though. This news may mean more work for you and Will. Come up to my office and we can have a chat and some coffee. Lady Pauline and Alyss, you had better come too as this will concern you."

Arald, Rodney, Halt, Will, Lady Pauline and Alyss left the banquet hall. Jenny excused herself and went back to the kitchens to help Master Chubb. So did George. "I feel the need of much more in the way of delectable sustenance," he said and went off.

"By that, I think he meant he is still hungry," said Alyss with a smile.

"He certainly has a very good vocabulary," agreed Will.

The all filed into the baron's office and sat down. "Now," said Arald, "about this important news. We seem to have a problem in Hogarth Fief."

"Hogarth fief," interjected Halt, "isn't that the fief that Crowley had before he and I reformed the Corps?"

"Yes Halt. That is right," confirmed the baron.

"What sort of a problem do they have?" asked Will. "Are we going there?"

Halt sighed, "Do you always have to ask two questions at once?"

"Never mind all that," Arald said quickly, before the situation could get out of hand. "The problem they have, Will, is one of treachery."

Everyone in the room gave a surprised exclamation at this. In varying degrees of enthusiasm of course. Will having the most surprised reaction with Halt's being merely a raise of the eyebrows.

"Treachery," Mused Halt when the room had quieted down somewhat. "It has been a long time since there has been treachery in Araluen. The last case was the whole debacle with Morgath."

Will shuddered at this name. He was infinitely glad that Morgath was dead. "What does that have to do with us, Baron Arald?"

"I was wondering a similar thing," said Halt. "Why can't the ranger of Hogarth fix this?"

Before any one could say anything else, Lady Pauline interjected. "Arald, why don't you go back to the start and explain this properly. If nobody interrupts..." here a look was directed and Will and Halt, "we might be able to make some sense of this problem."

"Good idea, Pauline," said Arald. He marshalled his thoughts for a minute. "OK. This is the situation as far as we know it. "

 **I am sorry that this is a cliff hanger but I had to do it for two reasons. Firstly, if I kept going, the next suitable spot would be too far away and this chapter would be too long. Secondly, I need a bit more planning time. I only just came up with this treachery plot last night! I am still trying to iron out the details! I hope this story will have enough action and suspense for all you action lovers. I am not the best story writer but I do try.** **J**


	4. Chap4 Mission Revealed

**Next Chapter is up. Yesterday, after I posted the previous chapter, I came up with a really good idea for my story. I won't tell you what it is because that would spoil the story! You will have to wait and find out! HAHA. :P Anyway, I hope you like this chapter. You may need to read the end of the previous chapter to remember where we were up to.  
I just want to say thanks to the people who reviewed with idea suggestions. I am always needing good ideas. Some will have to wait till this whole treachery thing has been cleared up. Thanks Katy Fairfax, your idea will be in the next chapter. ****J** **  
I do not own anything. Except Baron Carloman and Tyson.**

Arald continued to talk. "Hogarth fief, about three months ago, got a new ranger. It is not a big fief so they got a newly graduated ranger. His name is Ranger Tyson. About a month ago, I got a letter from Crowley saying that Tyson needed some help from and experienced ranger. He was having a confusing problem and could not work it out.

The Baron of that Fief is Baron Carloman. When Tyson first got there, he was a happy, helpful and very kind person. In the past two months, he became... different. The baron started being short and crappy with everyone. This didn't worry Tyson too much until he found out that Carloman fired seven of his oldest and most trusted staff members. His chamberlain, his treasurer and his captain of the guard to name a few. Tyson investigated and found that he had no reason to do this other than he wanted to. This was so extremely out of character for this baron that Tyson guessed that something was going on. But when he asked a few questions, the baron got mad and basically banned Tyson from his presence."

At this, Will could keep quiet no longer, "He what!" he exclaimed, "I pretty sure a baron can't do that!"

"That's right Will," agreed Halt, "a baron can't do that." He looked over at Arald and said, "Let me guess. Crowley wants Will and me to go and help Tyson investigate?"

"Yup, that's right," said Arald, "he thinks it might be part of a plot of some sort. I said treachery because it sounds good and Crowley thinks it is possible that treachery is at hand but it could be anything. Crowley wants it investigated and Tyson can't handle it alone. He is a very new ranger after all. I feel very guilty telling you this because you only just got home. You probably want a really long rest."

"That's OK Arald," said Halt, "there is no rest for the wicked. When do we leave?"

"As soon as possible. Oh...I nearly forgot. Crowley said to bring Alyss too. He said you might need her skill with words." Arald grinned, "because we all know you like to throw offending officials out...of...the..." Arald trailed off into silence a Halt glared at him.

"We know, Arald. Now shut up." He turned and addressed Will, "Will, tonight we will sleep in our cabin. We will leave in the morning."

Will and Halt left the Baron's office. Lady Pauline and Alyss went back to their quarters. "See you tomorrow, Alyss," said Will.

"Tomorrow," she agreed with a smile.

Will and Halt left the castle and started walking back to the cabin in silence. Eventually, Will ventured a question. "Halt," he said experimentally. Halt grunted so Will continued. "Where is Hogarth fief?"

Halt turned to him in disbelief. "I thought I taught you the whereabouts of all the fiefs after you got your Oakleaf!"

"Yeah...well...I seem to have forgotten." Said Will, looking down.

Halt groaned. "I had better get on to teaching you again, hadn't I. Anyway, it doesn't matter now. Hogarth Fief is in the north of Araluen, just below Norgate Fief. It is about two day's journey from here."

They arrived at the cabin and went inside. Will was so tired, that, after dinner, he went straight to bed. Halt followed soon after. He knew that tomorrow would be a big day.

 **I hope this chapter is not too confusing. Enjoy and please review.**


	5. Chap5 A Dream and A Journey

**Next Chapter is up. I hope you enjoy it. Please review with any sort of criticism or help. Any ideas are welcome and I will try to incorporate them all at some stage.  
Also, a quick notification. I have changed my username to 'Ranger Charlie'.  
Enjoy the chapter! ****J**

Will was sleeping peacefully. As he slept, a shadow of disquiet came over him. He tossed and turned in his sleep. He was dreaming.

He dreamed that he was back on Skorghill. The sky was black and the seas were lashing. He was looking for something but he could not remember what. Then he remembered. Evanlyn! Where was she? He saw her and started to run to her. As he drew near, she faded and he was falling...falling...falling. He landed in a shed. He found he was cold. So cold that he could not even think properly. He was back in Hallashlom in the slave yard. He saw the hand trying to give him warmweed. In his mind he was thinking, ' _No, no! Don't eat it! Please don't eat it!_ ' But the hand forced it into his mouth. The effects of the warmweed took over his mind. He was slipping away. Succumbing to the effects of the warmweed...

Will woke up with a cry. He was breathing hard and shivering with cold. He remembered the dream and shuddered. Try as he might, he could not help crying. One tear after another trickled down his cheeks. He curled into a ball on the bed.

He heard the door open softly. Halt came in and Will looked up. "Will, I heard you cry out. Are you Ok?" asked Halt softly. Will explained his dream. He expected a slightly gruff response for waking up Halt in the middle of the night. What happened next surprised him.

Halt sat down on the bed and put his arm around Will. "Will, It is OK to be scared. You have had a very hard year. I was expecting you to have nightmares. When we have cleared up this thing in Hogarth fief, we will go back to normal life with normal training. That will take your mind of these bad things. For now, try to sleep and forget it all."

Halt got up and went out. Will lay down and went back to sleep. He was not troubled further that night by dreams.

The next morning he woke up to hear Halt moving around the cabin. He walked out, rubbing his eyes blearily. "Good morning, Will," said Halt. He didn't mention last night's episode. The less Will dwelt on it, the sooner he would get over it.

"Good morning, Halt," greeted Will, "Are we leaving soon?"

"Yes. Go and pack your stuff. We will have a quick breakfast and then go and pick up Alyss."

Will ran into his room and stuffed all his things into a saddle bag. He ate a hurried breakfast and went out to get Tug ready.

"Good morning, Tug," he sang out cheerily.

" _Good morning, Will. Are you OK after last night?_ "

"How did you know about last night?"

" _It is in your head. Therefore I know it._ "

"Oh. I am fine now. I hope it doesn't happen again though."

" _You will be fine. Anyway, we are setting out to Hogarth fief today. I can't wait to do a mission with you again. I missed you. Why did you have an adventure without me?_ "

"It wasn't an adventure you dope. I was kidnapped!"

" _Ha! That is why I always tell you to stay with me. Bad things happen to you when I am not there!_ "

Not for the first time, Will realised that he would never have the last word with his horse.

He brushed Tug down and gave him an apple. That was when Halt walked in. "That horse will be to fat to run if you give him too many apples." He said. Tug snorted in obvious disagreement. Will smiled.

"I am ready to go when you are, Halt."

Halt grunted. "You are too quick." He muttered something indistinct about " _Young people_ "

Will grinned and led Tug outside. Only a few minutes later, they were joined by Halt. They mounted up and rode off toward the castle.

" _How did Will go last night_?" asked Abelard.

 _"Not good he woke up quite distraught."_

 _"Hopefully he will be alright tonight."_

 _"I hope so. For his sake. If it goes on too long, he will worry about sleeping."_

 _"Aww. You do care, Halt."_

 _"If he doesn't sleep, he will keep me awake that is all."_ Halt replied gruffly.

Abelard shook his head knowingly. Halt gave up on having the last word with his horse.

By this time, they were at castle Redmont. Alyss was waiting by the drawbridge with Lady Pauline. "Hi Lady Pauline, hi Alyss. Ready to go?" greeted Will.

"Hi Will. Yes, I am ready to leave." Replied Alyss.

"You had better leave as soon as possible." said Lady Pauline. "Crowley said he wants this resolved as soon as possible."

"Well, if Crowley says so, we had better do it. It is a shame. I was planning to take my time." said Halt sarcastically.

Lady Pauline looked at him. "Halt, that was uncalled for. Now, travel safe you three. Behave, and Halt, please try not to break any laws this time."

Halt gave her a wide eyed look of innocence, "Me? Break laws? Never!"

Lady Pauline just raised her eyebrow.

"Bye Lady Pauline," said Alyss.

Will echoed her sentiment and they rode off. It would take them two days to get to Hogarth fief. During that time, Halt had plenty of time to think of how they would handle things when they got there.

X

They had been travelling for a day and a half. In a few hours they would reach Hogarth Castle, the home of Baron Carloman. Halt reigned in Abelard. "Before we go any further, I might as well fill you two in on my plan of attack. I think it would be best if we did not go and see the baron or any of the officials. We will not find out anything if the baron finds we are here to investigate."

"So you plan to stay undercover?" asked Alyss.

"Yes Alyss, that's right. Before we get there, Will and I will take off our cloaks and Oakleaves. They make it pretty obvious that we are rangers. You will have to change out of your white dress and hide that bronze laurel. They will show you are a courier at first glance."

"Good thing I brought a change of dress isn't it," smiled Alyss. When will we stop to do this?"

"Now sounds good," replied Halt. "There is a thicket of trees that you can use to change in."

Will broke in with a question, "Halt, will Tyson know we are here? Are we going to be working with him?"

Before Halt could reply, Alyss smiled and said, "Always with the two questions at a time, Will."

Halt snorted, "Very true Alyss. Will, yes Tyson will know we are here. He will be helping us."

"Good. I wanted to meet him," said Will.

Halt clapped his hands. "Now. If we are finished, we can get on with this clothes changing and head on into this fief."

 **I just want to say thank you to Katie Fairfax for her idea of Will having nightmares about his ordeal. I didn't think of that and I am glad she said something. Please review and tell me what you think about this chapter.**


	6. Chap6 Meeting The Ranger

**I am very pleased that I managed to get another chapter up so quickly. Thank you to all the people who have been reviewing. Your support is much appreciated.**

It was late afternoon when the company had their first sight of Castle Hogarth. It was an impressive castle. It was built according to the standards of Araluen, on a hill so that it had a good view of the surrounding lands. It was an amazing sight with the setting sun reflecting of its perfectly smooth walls. Will sighed with appreciation. "It is a beautiful castle. Almost as nice as Castle Redmont."

Alyss smiled and then addressed Halt. "Halt. Are we going to stay with Ranger Tyson?"

"Yes, Alyss. We are. His cabin is only a little way from here." He turned and addressed Will. "Will, how long until sundown?"

Will looked at the sky. "About an hour," he said confidently.

"Good," said Halt approvingly. Gone were the days when Will would answer a question with a question. " _He is growing up_ ," thought Halt. Out loud he said, "We had best get a move on if we want to get there before dark."

They rode on.

In about half an hour, they rode up to the cabin. Abelard and Tug called a soft greeting to Tyson's horse, who responded happily. Tyson came out of the cabin to greet them. He was not tall by average standards, making him the perfect ranger. He had shaggy blond hair and green eyes and a very pleasant face. He looked to be about twenty, but seeing as he had only been a ranger for three months, it was quite possible that he was only nineteen.

"Hello," said Tyson, "I assume you are the help I was told was coming?"

"Yes," said Halt, "this is Alyss, Will and I am Halt."

Tyson looked faintly surprised. "Crowley must have thought the situation was bad if he sent two very famous rangers to help me!"

Will blushed and Halt said, "Only one famous ranger."

"I am pretty important too!" exclaimed Will indignantly.

"You didn't let me finish my statement," said Halt. He turned and addressed Tyson again. "What I was going to say is the other is a famous _Apprentice_." He turned back to Will. "Happy now?"

Will grinned sheepishly. "Yes."

Halt said to Tyson. "This is Alyss. She is a courier and has been sent in case we need her skill with words."

"Good. Would you three like to put your horses up in my stable while I put coffee on?"

"Yes please." Said Halt and Will perked up at the mention of coffee. They put their horses up and went into the cabin. The cabin was just like all the other ranger cabins. It had a main living area with a kitchen, a main bedroom and a second bedroom that was a tiny bit smaller.

"Tyson," asked Will, "what is your horses' name?"

"Jasper."

"That is a lovely name. He is a very nice horse. His sleek black coat makes him look very handsome."

"Thank you, Will. Coffee anyone?"

A chorus of assent went up from everyone present.

"Now," said Halt, "what do you know about the situation here, Tyson?"

"Well, besides what you were told by Crowley, I have only found out one new thing. The names of the people Baron Carloman appointed. If you ask me, they look very shifty. There is Adrian, Captain of the Guard, Joseph, the Treasurer, Baxter, the Chamberlain, and William, Norman, George and Harold in other positions of prominence. Names may be of no importance but that is all I could find out. I am having a hard time getting any information since the baron banned me from the castle."

"Thank you, Tyson," said Halt, "names are very important and so is any information. Tomorrow we will start investigating."

"How will we do that, Halt?" asked Will.

"We will use Tyson as a diversion so that you and I can get into the castle, Will. Alyss, you will not have any part to play just yet but be patient. We will have a job for you soon. Will, you and I will go into the castle and subtly mingle with the staff, asking indirect questions to get information about anything to do with the baron and these new staff."

"Halt," said Alyss, "maybe I could come with Tyson for the diversion. He could be bringing me to see the baron with a message from the king. I am a courier after all. We could use the message to find out what his reaction to a letter from the king is. I could be doing that while you question the staff. We can kill two birds with one stone that way."

Halt smiled at Alyss. "Good idea, Alyss. Now I see why Crowley wanted you to come along. You are pretty smart."

Alyss blushed at his praise. Will was amazed. It was not very often that Halt gave ready praise. " _He must think Alyss' idea was really good,_ " thought Will.

Tyson yawned. "I am sorry, but I am very tired. It has been a long day for me. You three must be tired too after a long day of travelling."

"We are," said Will, agreeing heartily.

They all went to bed. Alyss was sleeping in the other bedroom. Will and Halt slept on the floor in front of the fire. As Will fell asleep, he hoped he would not have any dreams. No such luck.

The dream was the same as before. He was on Skorghill, looking for Evanlyn. He fell into the barn at Hallashlom, and was force-fed warmweed. This time it did not end there. He found himself in the battle with the Temujai Warriors. He was fighting for his life. As he fought, he saw Evanlyn, about to be struck down by a Temujai fighter. He went to throw his knife, as he did in the real battle, but it was too late. The sword fell. Evanlyn screamed... then he woke up.

He sat up with a jerk. He was cold and sweating. He shuddered. That dream had been worse than last time. Thank goodness that hadn't really happened. He lay down again but sleep was a long time in coming.

 **I hope you like this chapter. The next chapter will be about them going into the castle. I am sorry that the chapter ended on such a morbid note but it seemed to fit. Please review!**


	7. Chap7 Plenty of News

**Sorry this was so long in coming. I got a bit distracted from writing. I hope you like it.**

The next morning, they all got up and got ready to go. Alyss put on her couriers uniform and bronze Laurel. Tyson donned his normal ranger clothes. Will and Halt found some ordinary clothes of a castle servant. Plain stockings and woollen tunics of plain dye. They had felt boots and felt caps on their heads. The plan was to mingle with the staff of the castle and if they were dressed like rangers, they would not be able to achieve this.

They went outside and Alyss and Tyson saddled up their horses. Halt and Will would walk because once they were in the castle; there would be no need for horses.

"Do you have the message, Alyss?" asked Halt.

"Yes, I do," she replied.

The note said:

 _Baron Carloman,  
I require twenty-five mounted soldiers and five qualified knights to be despatched to castle Araluen within the next week. I am putting down a minor invasion on the Scotti border and require the use of your men.  
Signed, King Duncan_

 _King Duncan_

"Does King Duncan really need these men, Halt?" asked Will.

"No, but he is putting down a rebellion on the Scotti border. If Baron Carloman does send them, I will deal with it. Duncan won't mind extra men."

They rode off toward the castle. Will and Halt hid a little way away from the gates while Tyson and Alyss went up to the gate.

"Halt! Who goes there?" said one of the sentries.

"Ranger Tyson and Courier Alyss with a message from King Duncan to Baron Carloman."

"Come through."

While this was going on, Halt and Will crept past the guards, using their ranger skills so they would not be seen. They got safely into the castle. When they were out of sight of the guards, Halt turned to Will. "Now, this is where we split up. You go and mingle with the younger staff. Remember not to ask obvious questions. Do you remember what I told you last night?"

"Always look as though you are doing a job and you are less likely to be questioned," said Will. "Don't worry Halt, I will remember everything. And I will meet you back here at the first hour after noon."

They split up. Will went to the stables and Halt went into the castle.

Will walked over to the stables. He went in and grabbed a bucket. There was a pump nearby and he went over to fill up his bucket. The whole time he was listening to what was going on around him. Just as he finished filling up the bucket, he heard a shout.

"Boy! Bring that bucked over here. Make it snappy."

Will hurriedly carried the bucket over to the man who had shouted, who promptly snatched it off him and said brutishly,

"You can brush down this horse. Do a good job or you will have me to reckon with."

"Yes sir." Said Will.

He went over to the horse. He was a beautiful horse. A tall black battlehorse. Will sighed. It was just like the one he had wanted before he got Tug. Will shook himself. He wouldn't trade Tug for any battlehorse.

"BOY!" Roared a voice.

Will jumped.

"GET ON WITH IT!"

"Yes sir! Sorry sir!" said Will. He picked up the brush and started brushing the horse down.

As he was brushing down the horse, he heard the man who had yelled at him talking to some other men in a hushed voice.

"What did the boss say about tonight?"

"He said to be there at the meeting place. If you are not, we will leave you behind."

"Arrogant as ever, Adrian is."

Will's ears pricked up at this. Wasn't Adrian the name of one of the new staff members recruited by Baron Carloman? He racked his memory. What did Tyson say? Then he remembered.

" _There is Adrian, Captain of the Guard, Joseph, the Treasurer, Baxter, the Chamberlain, and William, Norman, George and Harold in other positions of prominence_."

That set Will thinking. Adrian was the captain of the guard. Why were they referring to him as boss? Then the man who yelled at Will started talking again.

"George, where do we meet the boss?"

"Don't you know that, Norman? Where we met last time. By the cove on the shore line, in that cave in the cliff."

Will made a note of this. Norman was the name of the man who yelled at him. George was the messenger of the 'boss'. Just then a third man spoke.

"Shut yer trap, George. Don't go talking about secrets willy nilly."

"Don't worry, Harold. There is no one here."

Will thought it was time to leave the stables and wait for Halt before he was discovered. He made a point to remember the names of the men. Halt would want to know. He wondered where Halt was.

 **The next chapter will be about what Halt and Alyss do in the castle. It might be a little complicated now but** ** _all will be revealed..._** **(said mysteriously).** **J**


	8. Chap8 More News and a Plan

**Sorry about the long wait. I hope this chapter meets your expectations. Please review. (*me with pleading eyes*)**

Halt was in the castle. He was walking along briskly. Even though it looked like Halt was just walking, he was actually taking in every word that was said by people he passed. He walked up some stairs and passed a few closed doors.

One door was open. Halt paused for a second to make sure no one was about. There was no one so he crept into the empty room. There was a desk with lots of paperwork piled neatly on it. Halt shuddered at the sight of all that paperwork. Rangers had a strong aversion to paperwork! He peered at the papers.

" _Hmmm,_ " Thought Halt, " _This must be the treasurer's office. This is all about money._ "

Just then, Halt heard voices approaching the room. He quickly found a place to hide.

Two men walked into the room and closed the door behind them, talking about something that they obviously disagreed on.

"No, no, no!" exclaimed one man. "I say it is not ready! We can't do it tonight! It is not ready!"

"The boss said to be there tonight. Any who are late will be left behind. We are running out of time, he said. That meddlesome Ranger, Tyson, has sent for help. The boss doesn't know who but he wants to leave tonight. So shut up, Baxter, and do as the boss says."

"You're a little suck up, Joseph, that's what. What did Adrian do to become the boss anyway? We were all equal until he 'decided' to be boss." Said the man named Baxter in a voice laden with sarcasm.

When Halt heard the names, he almost started with surprise. Only his many years of training kept him from moving. Joseph and Baxter. They were two of the names that Tyson had mentioned. What had he said? Halt remembered.

" _There is Adrian, Captain of the Guard, Joseph, the Treasurer, Baxter, the Chamberlain, and William, Norman, George and Harold in other positions of prominence_."

Halt filed this information away. The two men left the room and walked on up the stairs. Halt crept out of the room and headed back to meet Will.

Alyss and Tyson were being escorted down the hall toward the baron's office. Tyson glanced over at Alyss. She looked very young but he trusted she knew her business. She wouldn't have been sent otherwise.

They arrived at the office and one of the guards knocked on the door.

"Yes?" came a voice from inside.

"My lord, there is a courier come with a message for you."

"Come in." Replied the voice.

Alyss and Tyson walked into the room. It was a nice room, finely furnished with many bookshelves lining the walls. The Baron was seated on a high backed chair behind a desk. He himself was a reasonably handsome man. His dark hair was cropped close to his head and he had a dignified moustache. He had rather full face and had probably once been quite fit and slim but the baronship had taken its toll on his figure. He was a little plump.

"Courier Alyss with a message from King Duncan," said Alyss in a formal tone.

"The king, hey," said the Baron in a smooth voice. "Let's see what it says, shall we."

He picked up the letter and read it. As he read it, his face darkened. "I don't have time to do this!" he exclaimed. "The king can wait!"

The only thing that showed that Alyss was surprised was her raised eyebrow. As the baron looked up, he saw Tyson standing slightly to one side and behind Alyss.

"I thought I told you not to come back here!" he said angrily.

As Tyson went to reply, the baron roared "GUARDS! COME AND ESCORT THESE PEOPLE OUT OF MY CASTLE!" then, turning to Alyss and Tyson he spat, "Get out of my sight! I don't have time for nosey rangers and annoying couriers who bring messages that I don't have time for!"

The guards burst into the room and firmly escorted Alyss and Tyson out of the castle.

Once they were out of the castle, Alyss let out a long breath. "Well! That was unexpected, to say the least! He really is strange."

"I know," said Tyson, "He was so friendly when I first arrived a few months ago."

They walked on in silence for a while. It was Tyson who broke the silence. "I wonder where Halt and Will are?"

"Right here," said a voice from the trees. Halt and Will dropped onto the path in front of them.

"Hi Will. Hi Halt," said Alyss, "Did you hear anything interesting?"

"Wait till we get back to Tyson's cabin and then we will talk," said Halt, giving nothing away.

Back at the cabin, the three rangers and Alyss were seated around the fire-place, drinking coffee.

"Well," said Halt, "I will go first. I saw the new recruits named Joseph and Baxter. They were arguing about somewhere they are to go tonight. Apparently the 'boss' said something that Baxter didn't like and Joseph was trying to make him 'see sense.' They were both cranky with the 'boss' because he just made himself boss without consulting them. His name was Adrian."

By this time, Will couldn't keep silent any longer. "Halt!" he burst out. "That is like what I heard! I heard three men talking in the stables, Norman, George and Harold. They said something about meeting a 'boss' tonight too!"

Halt raised his eyebrows. "Hmm. This is interesting. Do you know where they are to meet?"

"Yes! They said by the cove on the shore line, in that cave in the cliff."

Halt turned to Tyson. "Do you know of this place they are talking about?"

"Yes. I believe I do. Are we going to go there tonight?"

Halt's grin would not have looked out of place on a shark. "Yes. I rather think we should pay them a visit. They might like some company," he paused, "Alyss, what did the baron say about the note?"

"He was very cross, to say the least," replied Alyss dryly

"Hmm. I wonder if this has anything to do with these men and their 'boss'," said Halt thoughtfully. "I suppose we will find out tonight. We had best leave soon so that we can find this cove and get settled before out fine friends arrive."

"I can't wait!" said Will.

 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please review! No one reviewed my last chapter!** **L**


	9. Chap9 Plan Successfully Executed

**This chapter took such a long time! I can't believe it! I forgot to write any more chapters and only just realised today when a lovely miss 'Ranger Katie' reminded me to update. Thankyou so much Katie!**

 **Ok here goes...**

It was about 10 O'clock at night when the suspicious staff of the castle started appearing at the cove. The Rangers and Alyss were already there, lying in wait in the shadows. The rangers were concealed by the cloaks and Halt had lent one to Alyss. It was a little small but it did it's job.

The first to come was a tall, handsome young man who would not have been much older than 25. He strolled down to the cove, gave a quick, cursory glance around and then disappeared into a cave in the cliff face.

Then came the others. Halt recognised Joseph and Baxter. Will stiffened as he recognised George, Norman and Harold. They came down to the small beach and also went into the cave.

"Not to cautious, are they" commented Halt softly. The men had not even bothered to look down the beach.

"Shall we go and take a look?" asked Tyson.

"Yes" replied Halt.

They moved off and ghosted across the sand. They crept up to the mouth of the cave and paused, listening.

"So, what's the plan?" said a rough voice.

"Get the stuff, remove the real baron and get out of here" responded another voice. "There are too many snoopy rangers around now. I heard that sneak Tyson sent for reinforcements."

"Ok, Adrian" replied a few voices.

"Drop the fake names!" snarled the voice that they now knew belonged to Adrian. "We're leaving tonight and the names can go. I am Alda, you," he said obviously pointing to Joseph, "are Jerome and he is Bryn. You others never changed your names so can stay the same."

All the listeners stiffened at these names. They were the three Bullies from the battleschool! They were now making trouble in another fief! Will went for his bow but Halt stopped him, gesturing for him to wait. They kept listening.

"So we kill Carloman and leave with the loot?"asked another man.

"Yes" said Alda. "You did a good job, Felix, impersonating the Baron. I bet no one noticed."

The men all laughed. Halt had obviously heard enough. He motioned for the others to move forward. With their bows in hand and an arrow each knocked to the string, they stepped into the mouth of the cave.

"Stay where you are and raise your hands above your head!" Halt commanded. Startled, most of the men did so. Alda however snarled and reached for his knife.

"You never give up, do you Halt! Were you not content with driving us out of Redmont?"

"No!" growled Halt, "I now know your natures better than ever and this country needs to be rid of you. Now surrender or I put and arrow through your leg!"

Alda smirked and took a step forward. He then fell to the ground with a cry as the arrow tore through the fleshy part of his calf. The other men froze and did not move, fear of that devastating shooting rendering them helpless.

"Tie these men up will you, Tyson and Will," said Halt.

They did so and as they were doing it, Halt stayed at the entrance and kept an arrow on the string of his bow, so that the men wouldn't get any ideas of escape.

When the men were secure, Halt sent Tyson back to the castle to get some help. It would be too hard to cart eight men back to the castle alone.

Tyson arrived with help and together with some soldiers, they piled the men into a cart and wheeled them off to the castle dungeons, where they awaited trial.

"Well," said Halt, Now there is only the problem of the baron mix up to uncover." He yawned. "But that can wait till tomorrow. Let's go and get some sleep."

 **So what do you think? Alda, Bryn and Jerome turned up again! It never says what happened to them so I decided to use them as my bad guys. I hope you liked it. There is only one more chapter to go. If anyone has any ideas of what my next story should be, LMK. I like getting idea suggestions. I might do a story about Tyson. I like creating characters and Tyson seems like a good opportunity.**

 **Please Review!**


	10. Chap10 A Thorough Search

**Here is the next chapter. :)**

They spent the night at Tyson's house. The next morning, they all went down to the castle. The problem of the baron still needed to be cleared up.

"Last night, the man named Felix was found to be an imposter baron." said Halt. "What they have done with the actual baron, I don't know."

"We should make a search of the whole castle," said Alyss. "They may have imprisoned him somewhere in the castle.

Halt nodded. "Yes. That would be the best plan. Will, you take the right wing, Tyson, the left, Alyss take the top centre and I'll take the lower centre, basement and dungeon."

Off they went. Searching in every room and possible space. Also some impossible spaces in Will's instance. He wanted to make sure he didn't miss anything.

Some of the castle staff gave them odd looks but they had been told the previous evening that the Rangers would be around and not to disturb then in their work. Anyway, most of them were of the opinion that rangers practiced black magic and so kept out of the way.

Halt was searching hard. Every room on the first floor and every room in the basement he searched to the enth degree. Nowhere went unsearched. He found nothing. The dungeons were next. He went down the winding stairs. The light got gloomy and dim. Even though he walked like a ranger, with barely any sound of footfall, his footsteps still echoed down the long, winding stair.

As he reached the bottom, he saw a long row of cells. He went softly down, past the long row of cells. There was no one in any of them. At the end of the hall, there was a big wooden door. He tried the handle. It was locked. Halt thought for a minute. There were a few options at his disposal, but the one that seemed best for this situation was to knock. If it was the guard house, the would be someone in there. If it were a cell, there might be someone in it.

He knocked on the door. There was no reply. If it was a guard house, there was no one in it. He tried the handle again to make sure it was really locked. It was defiantly locked. As he stood there thinking for a minute, he heard a noise. A faint voice.

"Hello," called Halt. He heard the voice again but it was too indistinct to make out what was being said. Halt ran back up the stairs to find the others. He gathered up Tyson, Will and Alyss. As they hurried down to the dungeon, Halt filled them in on what he knew. When they arrived at the door, Tyson, Will and Halt forced their way through the door. It was a very old door. Still rather sturdy though. It took all three of them to break it down.

What they saw on the other side did not really surprise them. There was the baron, dirty, thin, tied to a chair and gagged. The gag had slipped slightly so he could make some noise. That is what Halt had heard. Tyson went over the baron, untied him and ungagged him. Carloman sagged to the floor, utterly wasted and almost helped him up and said to Halt.

"He is worn out, he has been imprisoned for who knows how long and he needs rest. And food too by the looks of him." The baron was painfully thin.

They took him back up to his rooms and put him to sleep. They told the head maid about the situation and told her to keep an eye on him and when he woke up to feed him.

Halt said to her, "When the baron has woken up and eaten, send for us. We will be at Tyson's cabin."

The maid nodded affirmation and the Ranger's and Alyss took their leave.

 **One chapter left now. Nearly done. :) In regards to a question from Ranger Katie, Tennyson is the man that Will and Halt are tracking in books 8 and 9. Tyson does sound similar though!**


	11. Chap11 Adventures End

It was mid-afternoon of the next day before a message came from the castle saying that the baron was ready to see them. He had slept for nearly 15 hours straight.

They made their way up to the castle. As they came to the gate, a servant was waiting for them. He hailed them as they came through the gate.

"Rangers!" he cried, "I am to take you to the baron!"

"Lead on," said Halt.

The servant lead them up several flights of stairs, along a few corridors and then to a door. He knocked smartly on the door. A firm but weak voice replied with "Come in."

They went in and saw the baron sitting in a comfortable chair with some food on a table next to him. He still looked painfully thin but he no longer looked exhausted to the point of collapse.

"I want to thank you, Rangers," said the baron. "I have been told what happened and how you outsmarted the imposters. What do you think was the reason for their doing this?"

Surprisingly it was Will that replied. "My lord," he said the baron, "I believe that they were merely after power. I knew the ringleaders a few years ago and they were bullies and were seeking to control people. I think that those types of people will always try to take power."

Everyone looked at Will, surprised at the wisdom that he just spouted. "You do take in the ethics lessons after all!" said Halt in surprise. Will flushed.

"Will is right," said the baron. "I will be sending them all to castle Araluen to be trialled and sentenced."

"That would be the best plan, my lord," said Halt.

"I am forever in your debt, Rangers Tyson, Halt and Will. And you too, Lady Alyss."

Alyss and the rangers bowed gravely and thanked the baron. They exchanged a few more pleasantries and then took their leave as it was clear that the baron was getting tired again. It would take a few days for him to recover completely. There would then be the matter of reinstating the people who had been fired to make way for the accomplices of Alda, Bryn and Jerome. This was relatively simple though and Tyson would be able to handle it himself.

They made their way back to the cabin and gathered their things together. They saddled up Abelard, Tug and Alyss' horse and prepared to set off.

"Thank you for your help," said Tyson, "I am still learning and it was good to have some help. I couldn't have done it without you."

"We were glad to help," said Halt gruffly.

"Although we will be glad to be home!" said Will.

They all laughed as the trio rode off home. Will was so glad to be going home. He was hoping they could go back home and stay home and have a normal life for a while. He felt he needed to be normal with no adventures for a very long time!

 **I hope you liked this story and it was not to boring. I might start a new one soon, but we will see. :)**


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